4.76 Cubic feet (4 records center boxes, 1 flatbox)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Clippings
Date:
1918-1939
Scope and Contents:
The majority of the collection was compiled by Mrs. W. Sumpter Smith and consists of newspaper clippings and photos. The clippings come primarily from newspapers in and about the Birmingham, AL region and deal with general aviation news from the time period 1918-1935. There are clippings dealing with Sumpter and his activities throughout the collection. Four volumes were compiled by Sumpter himself and deal with the activities of the Civil Aeronautics Authority (1938-39), Civil Works Administration (1933-39), and Works Projects Administration (1935-36). The collection also contains a scrapbook of a WPA Airport Inspection trip in October/November 1937 containing captioned photographs of the trip's high points, as well as photographs documenting the construction of Washington National Airport (1939-1943).
Biographical / Historical:
Colonel Walter Sumpter Smith (1897-1943) was an engineer, Army pilot, government aviation official, and promoter of aviation. He served as an Army pilot and instructor in World War I and afterwards as commandant of Roberts Field in Birmingham, AL, and helped to establish new air mail routes in the South during the late 1920s. In 1935 he was made head of the Airport Division of the Works Project Administration and was later appointed chairman of the Safety Board of the Civil Aeronautics Authority. In January 1939 he was appointed as chairman of the commission to build Washington National Airport. During World War II, he returned to active duty and was made chief of Transport and Facilities Division of Army Air Support in March 1942. On 24 January 1943 his aircraft disappeared over the Caribbean Sea. In 1943 he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
No donor information, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0023, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
National Air and Space Museum -- Exhibitions Search this
Extent:
13.38 Cubic feet (11 legal document boxes, 1 shoe box (5 x 8 inches), 6 records center boxes )
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Photographs
Date:
1917-2000
bulk 1981-1986
Summary:
This collection consists of background material collected in support of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) exhibit "Black Wings: The American Black in Aviation" (opened in 1982) and its companion book (published 1983) by curators Von Hardesty and Dominick Pisano, a related symposium, educational materials, and a travelling version of the exhibit. The collection contains photographs and textual materials used in the exhibit and book, internal correspondence and memoranda, and a large amount of material gathered for research purposes but not used in any "Black Wings" production.
Scope and Contents:
The core of the collection covers activities of American Black aviators between 1917 and 1981, from Eugene Bullard's service as a pilot in World War I through the first Black astronauts assigned to the Space Shuttle program in the early 1980s. Curators Von Hardesty and Dominick Pisano and other Museum staff collected and generally grouped materials to fit the four chronological sections of the "Black Wings" exhibit and related book, with a strong emphasis on the stories of individual people.
Headwinds (1917-1939) covers pioneer fliers such as Bullard and Bessie Coleman; Black aviation activities in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas; early aviators and organizers including William J. Powell, Willa Brown, and Cornelius Coffey; and long distance flights by James Herman Banning and Thomas C. Allen, and C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson and Dr. Albert E. Forsythe.
Flight Lines (1939-1945) includes the 1939 flight of Dale L. White and Chauncey E. Spencer to Washington, D.C.; the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPT); the start of training of Black military pilots at Tuskegee Army Air Field during World War II; and training of the all-Black 477th Bombardment Group. This section and the next include U.S. Army Air Force documents and photography, and materials obtained from individual Tuskegee Airmen.
Wings for War (1943-1945) covers the experiences of the men of the 99th Fighter Squadron and later the 322nd Fighter Group, all-Black fighter units which participated in the Allied campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy during World War II, and their commander, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
Era of Change (1945-1981), including many materials from the U.S. armed forces and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), covers the desegregation of the armed forces; military pilots' participation in the Korean and Vietnam wars (featuring William Earl Brown, Jr.; Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr.; Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.); general aviation (John W. Green, Jr.; Neal Loving); commercial aviation (Perry H. Young, Jr.; James O. Plinton, Jr.); and the U.S. space program, including not just the first Black astronauts (Guion S. Bluford, Jr.; Ronald E. McNair; Frederick D. Gregory; Charles F. Bolden) but many other NASA professional men and women from Project Mercury through the beginning of the Space Shuttle era.
Most of the material was photocopied from other sources such as books, newspapers, periodicals, and other archival collections, but many copy photographs and anecdotes were obtained from the aviators themselves (or their families), particularly those active in the 1930s and 1940s. The collection also contains internal Museum documents, notes, and memoranda regarding the development and implementation of the various "Black Wings" productions, including portions of exhibit scripts, book manuscripts, ephemera, and Museum photography taken at the exhibit opening and the symposium. Photographic formats include prints, copy prints, 4 x 5 inch black and white copy negatives and color transparencies, and 35mm copy slides. Quality of the photography is often fair to poor, as the copies are several generations removed from the original images.
The last six boxes of the collection (currently unprocessed) consists of material collected circa 2000 by curator Cathleen S. Lewis and Ian Cook (NASM Department of Space History) for a proposed update to the "Black Wings" exhibit. After it became clear that the exhibit was not going to be updated, Lewis transferred the material to the NASM Aeronautics Department, as Hardesty and Pisano were contemplating an update to the Black Wings book. This, too, failed to materialize, and the material was transferred to the NASM Archives in May 2018 to be added to the existing Black Wings Exhibit and Book Collection. This series was received by the Museum's Archives Division after the existing collection material had been scanned; it has not been scanned.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into six series. The first four roughly chronological series (Exhibit, Book, Educational Outreach, and Symposium) relate to the different "Black Wings" productions, and materials within each series often reflect the four-section groupings detailed in the Scope and Content note. The next series, Research Materials, has four sub-series: Biographical Files (alphabetical by last name), Subject Files and Study Materials (alphabetical by subject), Photographic Negatives, and Photographic Prints and Illustrations. The last series houses later additions to the collection which are currently unprocessed.
Materials within folders are predominantly photocopies (xerographs) and often include numerous duplicates, many unlabeled, and in no specific order. Materials relating to an exhibit often include a NASM Exhibits Department reference number (example: SE:13-L73-P58 to P59) indicating the exhibit number (13), label number (L73), and position within the exhibit (P58 to P59). Some materials are not visible online due to copyright restrictions.
Biographical / Historical:
On September 23, 1982, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) exhibit "Black Wings: The American Black in Aviation" opened as part of the existing "Pioneers of Aviation" exhibit located in Gallery 208 of the museum's National Mall Building in Washington, D.C. The exhibit was dedicated to the American Black Aviator, who anonymously played a historic role in shaping the growth of modern aviation. "Black Wings" encompasses the men and women who had to overcome enormous social pressures in order to gain the right to pursue the dream of flight in both civilian, military, and commercial circles. The exhibit generated much public and media interest, and inspired the Museum to sponsor a symposium on February 25, 1983, entitled "The American Black in Aviation, A Decade of Change: 1939-1949," (working title: "Tuskegee Airmen at War") featuring presentations by historians and U. S. Army Air Forces veterans including Noel F. Parrish (Commander, Tuskegee Army Air Field, 1942-1946), George F. Roberts (Commander, 99th Fighter Squadron, September 1943 to April 1944), and pilots Lewis A. Jackson, Elwood T. Driver, and Louis R. Purnell. In conjunction with the exhibit, the Museum, working with Sid Aaronson Films, Inc., produced a set of sound filmstrip packages designed for elementary and secondary school use. In 1983, the Smithsonian Institution Press published a companion book, Black Wings: The American Black in Aviation, authored by the exhibit's curators, Von Hardesty and Dominick Pisano; a second edition was issued the following year as part of the Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight series. A Smithsonian Institution Travelling Exhibition Service (SITES) version of the exhibit began circulating to other museums and venues in June 1983, and a expanded version of the SITES exhibit (featuring additional artifacts, photography, and audio-visual materials) was displayed April 1 to August 5, 1984, at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (later know as the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum) in Washington, D.C. The original NASM "Black Wings" exhibit—with occasional updates—remained on display in the "Pioneers of Flight" gallery (later renamed the "Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery") until 2019 when the gallery was closed due to renovations to the Museum's National Mall Building.
Related Materials:
"Black Wings: African American Pioneer Aviators" NASM Website Collection, NASM.2004.0026 [finding aid not available online]
Provenance:
National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Department of Aeronautics, Transfer, 1993, NASM.1993.0060; additional material transferred from NASM Department of Space History, 2018
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of material relating to Francis Gary Powers's flying career in the Air Force, Central Intelligence Agency, and later pursuits. The majority of the documents deal with the May 1960 U-2 incident, in which Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union during a reconnaisance mission and imprisoned. Materials include: logbooks; flight records from his military and civilian careers; a pocket diary and journal he kept during his Soviet imprisonment; letters to his parents; materials collected by his parents as his father attempted to visit him including a telegram from Nikita Khrushchev and a New Testament given to Powers by his mother during his Soviet trial; Congressional hearing material; newspaper articles; Life magazine; and several photographs of Powers.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of documents relating to Francis Gary Powers and his aviation career, particularly the 1960 U-2 incident with the Soviet Union. Materials include: logbooks; flight records from his military and civilian careers; a pocket diary and journal he kept during his Soviet imprisonment; letters to his parents; materials collected by his parents as his father attempted to visit him including a telegram from Nikita Khrushchev and a New Testament given to Powers by his mother during his Soviet trial; Congressional hearing material; newspaper articles; Life magazine; and several photographs of Powers.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged into three series: Early Career, the U-2 Incident, and Post U-2 Incident Life and Career.
Series 1 contains materials relating to Francis Gary Power's early career with the United States Air Force before resigning to join the CIA, including his birth certificate, military orders and forms, and his individual flight records.
Series 2 contains materials relating to the U-2 incident, in which Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union and imprisoned. The first set of materials relates to Powers' imprisonment, including his prison journal, pocket diary, New Testament, correspondence, and the subsequent congressional hearing. The second set of materials relates to the Powers family during the incident, including correspondence and telegrams with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and the United States government and Oliver Powers' passport. The third set of materials relates to the media reactions to the incident, including complete newspapers, article clippings, a television script, and artwork.
The Soviet Prison Journal and Soviet Prison Pocket Diary were on display in the Looking at Earth Gallery when the collection was digitized. The photocopies were scanned for digital access.
Series 3 contains materials from Powers' life and career after his return to the United States, including logbooks, public relations documents, flight training and insurance records, an employment application, and memorial items.
Documents with personally identifiable information (PII) have been redacted or not digitized.
Biographical/Historical note:
Francis Gary Powers (1929 -1977) learned to fly during high school. He enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating from Milligan College in 1950. In 1956, he resigned from the Air Force to become a "civilian employee" of Lockheed on loan to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, authorized to fly Air Force aircraft. In reality, he was a covert employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), training for Operation Overflight—U-2 reconnaissance missions.
Powers was captured and imprisoned after his U-2 was shot down over the Soviet Union during an aerial reconnaissance mission on May 1, 1960. Powers was placed on trial and exchanged nearly two years later for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet agent. After his return to the United States, Powers continued to work for the CIA, but then left to work at Lockheed. Powers was working for NBC's Los Angeles affiliate KGIL in 1977, when his helicopter ran out of fuel and crashed, causing his death.
Provenance:
Claudia Sue Powers, Gift, 1994, NASM.1994.0010.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Topic:
United States -- Foreign relations -- Soviet Union Search this
Basil Lee Rowe (1896-1973) enjoyed a long and successful career in aviation, initially as a military exhibition pilot, barnstormer, air racer, charter operator, flight instructor, aircraft salesman, and rumrunner, before moving to the West Indies to start an airline, the short-lived West Indian Aerial Express, bought out by Pan American Airways in 1928. Rowe became a pioneering senior pilot for Pan Am, flying with them for 28 years before his retirement in 1956. This collection includes scrapbooks, photo albums, memorabilia, and first day covers, in addition to the draft manuscript for Rowe's 1956 autobiography, Under My Wings.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of Rowe's pilot's log books covering his career from 1927 to 1956, assorted periodicals, cartoons featuring Rowe, scrapbooks and photo albums assembled by Rowe (featuring newspaper clippings, photographs, and ephemera), several draft manuscripts of Rowe's 1956 autobiography Under My Wings, and first day air mail postal covers collected by Rowe.
Arrangement:
Materials in this collection are grouped into series by format. See individual series Scope and Content notes for details on arrangement within that series. Note that with the exception of the chronologically arranged flight log books, Rowe did not appear to organize his materials in any particular order.
Biographical / Historical:
Basil Lee Rowe, born February 10, 1896, grew up in the small town of Shandaken, New York, in the Catskill Mountains. He began his flying career in 1914 as an apprentice to aviator Turk Adams after seeing Adams fly at a local county fair. Impatient to become a military pilot, Rowe arranged to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, but was sidelined by a ruptured appendix before he could get to Canada. By the time Rowe had recovered, the United States had entered World War I and Rowe was able to join the Aviation Section of the U. S. Army Signal Corps; he was sent to Texas. During the Third Liberty Loan drive, Rowe was assigned to a group of fliers who were to give exhibition flights; after his discharge, he used his savings to buy a used Avro biplane and barnstormed around the East Central United States, using Hadley Field (New Brunswick, New Jersey) as his home field. Rowe soon bought a second aircraft, hired pilot William S. "Bill" Wade, and moved his base of operations to the Aeromarine Base at Keyport, near Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Rowe prospered through the early 1920s, and his troupe the "Rowe Fliers" (including at various times wingwalkers Bill Stacy and Marguerite L. "Peggy" Roome) toured the eastern US giving exhibition flights and passenger rides. In the winter, Rowe moved his operation to Florida, and, with a rebuilt Curtiss Seagull, ferried passengers eager to escape Prohibition from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas--with a bit of rumrunning on the side. Back in New Jersey, Rowe formed the Chamberlin-Rowe Aircraft Corporation with fellow aviator Clarence Chamberlin to buy and resell Army surplus aircraft; the short-lived business went bust in 1924 when the government finished selling off its aircraft. Rowe, a talented racing pilot, kept busy from 1924 through 1926 on the racing circuit, winning numerous prizes.
By the end of 1926, at the age of thirty, Rowe felt that he had reached a turning point in his life. Dismayed by the increase in US government regulation of aviation, Rowe moved his operations to the West Indies, settling in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. With Bill Wade, Rowe rapidly established a business flying charters around the country, with flights to neighboring Haiti and Puerto Rico. In June 1927, with financial backing provided by sugar industry businessmen and the government of the Dominican Republic, Rowe founded West Indian Aerial Express (abbreviated variously as WIAE or WIAX) to provide airline service between Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, hoping to be well positioned to bid on future US foreign air mail routes. With this in mind, Rowe returned to the Unites States and purchased a Fairchild FC-2W floatplane (christened "La Niña") and a larger Keystone K-47 Pathfinder trimotor (the former "American Legion," r/n NX179, rebuilt by the Keystone factory following a crash in April 1927 and rechristened as "Santa Maria"). To his dismay, Rowe was forced to acquired a US transport pilot license in order to be allowed to fly the "Santa Maria" back to Santo Domingo; he hired Canadian pilot Cy Caldwell to ferry "La Niña." On the way south in mid October 1927, Rowe found himself and his two aircraft in Florida just as Pan American Airways (PAA), which had been successful in obtaining a temporary contract to deliver mail from the US to Cuba, found itself without any aircraft able to fly out of their Key West, Florida, field to fulfill the contract before it expired. PAA struck a deal with Rowe to lease "La Niña" (piloted by Caldwell) to fly the first Pan American Airways flight on October 19, 1927.
With its two new aircraft, West Indian Aerial Express started regularly scheduled twice-weekly flights on December 1, 1927, between Cuba, Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Puerto Rico, later extending the routes to St. Thomas and St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. On June 30, 1928, WIAX filed a bid with the US government for air mail service on the route from Key West to Puerto Rico, but was outmanuevered by the more politically-savvy Pan American Airways which won the contract. A final crippling blow was dealt to WIAX in September 1928 when a severe hurricane hit their base in San Juan, Puerto Rico, destroying "La Niña" and two older Waco biplanes. Rowe made his last flight in the "Santa Maria" on September 20, 1928, before turning the aircraft over to Pan American. On October 16, 1928, PAA purchased WIAX, with Rowe becoming PAA's senior pilot.
During his first ten years with Pan Am, Rowe flew a record number of hours and surveyed most of the new air routes through the Caribbean to Central and South America, several times flying with Charles Lindbergh. When the US entered World War II, Rowe was assigned to Pan Am's Africa and Orient Division to serve with the US Army Air Forces Air Transport Command on their supply route across the South Atlantic and Africa to India and China (the "Cannonball Run"). His wife, Florence May Sharp, whom Rowe had married in 1930, served as an aircraft spotter during the war. During the Korean Conflict, Rowe was once again pressed into service, and was transferred to Pan Am's Pacific Division to fly transpacific supply routes and medical evacuation flights. May's early death in 1943 left Rowe a widower at his retirement from Pan Am in 1956. At their Coral Gables, Florida, home he wrote his autobiography, Under My Wings (The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., New York, 1956) and remained active as a tennis instructor until his death on October 28, 1973.
Related Materials:
See related collection Basil Lee Rowe First Day Air Mail Covers, NASM.XXXX.0487.
Basil Lee Rowe air racing medals in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection:
Medal, 1926 National Air Races [Winner, Relay Race], A19690242000.
Medal, 1926 National Air Races [Winner, Relay Race], A19690243000.
Medal, Aviation [Dayton Air Race], A19690244000.
Medal, Third Annual Dayton Air Race Winner, A19690245000.
Medal, 1926 National Air Races [2nd Place, Free-For-All Race, 510 cu. in. Class], A19690246000.
Medal, 1926 National Air Races [Winner, First Elimination, 500 cu. in. Class], A19690247000.
Basil Lee Rowe air racing trophies in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection:
Trophy, Allen W. Hinkle, Basil L. Rowe, A19690238000 [Allen W. Hinkle Trophy for Two, Three, and Four Place Airplanes, 1924]
Trophy, Glenn H. Curtiss, Basil L. Rowe, A19690239000 [The Glenn H. Curtiss Trophy for Two Seater Low Horsepower Airplane, National Air Races, Mitchel Field L. I., 1925]
Plaque, B.B.T. Corporation, National Air Races 1926, A19690240000 [B.B.T. Corporation of America Relay Race for Commercial Planes won by Basil L. Rowe, Charles S. Jones, A. H. Kreider]
Plaque, 1926 National Air Races, Benjamin Franklin Trophy, A19690241000 [Benjamin Franklin Trophy donated by Joseph A. Steinmetz, Relay Race for Commercial Planes won by Basil L. Rowe, Charles S. Jones, A. H. Kreider]
Provenance:
Basil Lee Rowe, gift, 1969; United States Air Force Museum, transfer, 1973; NASM.XXXX.0019
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
The Mary E. "Mother" Tusch Collection reflects her interest in aviation. It consists of 12 boxes that contain photography, family documentation, news clippings and scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The Mary E. "Mother" Tusch Collection reflects her interest in aviation. It consists of 12 boxes that contain photography, family documentation, news clippings and scrapbooks. There are formal group and individual photographs as well as informal personal photographs of servicemen whom she had befriended and images signed by such famous aviators as Ruth Law and Earle Ovington. The collection contains photographs of the wallpaper from her Berkeley home which was signed by such aviation notables as Charles Lindbergh and Edward Rickenbacker. There are four scrapbooks that relate to her aviator friends and a fifth on World War I which includes photographs of trench warfare presented to "Mother" Tusch by John Pierson. This collection also contains photographs of "Mother" Tusch and her home; an inventory listing the aviation holdings of her home; guest books recording visitors to The Hangar, Shrine of the Air; and newspaper articles, museum plans, and correspondence relating to Tusch donating her collection to the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
"Mother" Tusch carried on correspondence with many of her aviator friends. One of these men, Bill Schneider, sent her a piece of what he claimed was the wreckage of Zeppelin LZ 129 "Hindenburg". The object and a photograph of Schneider and his correspondence to Tusch have been transferred to the Aeronautics Department of the National Air and Space Museum. Photocopies of these materials can be found in Box 7, Folder 3 of this collection.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged by subject. These subjects include Mary E. "Mother" Tusch, her family, The Hangar, Shrine of the Air, photographs of aviators and other materials relating to her life.
Biographical/Historical note:
Mary E. Tusch (1875-1960) was a great supporter of aviation and pilots. She lived across the street from the United States School of Military Aeronautics on the University of California's Berkeley Campus during World War I. She invited the young aviators to her home and became like a second mother to many of them. They nicknamed her "Mother Tusch" and her house became known as The Hangar, Shrine of the Air. Tusch was actively interested in aviation as well as those people associated with aeronautics, and her home reflected her love of aviation. She avidly collected aviation material including artifacts, photographs, and autographs from the aviators. She invited many of the aviators who visited her home to sign the wallpaper.
This collection came to the National Air and Space Museum partially as a result of family ties. Mrs. Tusch's daughter, Irene, married National Air Space Museum curator, Paul E. Garber, in the early 1950s.
Provenance:
Mary E. "Mother" Tusch, Gift, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0128, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Thaden, Louise (McPhetridge), Mrs, 1905-1979 Search this
Extent:
8.73 Cubic feet (23 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Publications
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Date:
1929-1981
Summary:
The Ninety-Nines, Inc. History Books Collection consists of scrapbooks (yearbooks) complied by the officers of the Ninety-Nines to document the organization. Included in the yearbooks are the following: photographs of the members and officers; news clippings of the organization, individual chapters and sections, and about individual members; programs from air races, including Air Race Classic, Angel Derby, and the Powder Puff Derby; minutes from the annual meetings; and newsletters of the organization, The 99news, Ninety-Nine News, and Ninety-niner.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 19 bound scrapbooks and 34 unbound scrapbooks chronicling the history of the Ninety-Nines. Some of the volumes are described with a date range (September 1, 1937 -- September 1, 1938), while others are described with a volume number and date range (Volume 28, 1956 -- 1957). Organization of the Ninety-Nines History Books varies somewhat over the years. Usually, the books begin with photographs of the officers of the national organization, followed by minutes and a program from the annual meeting. The books end with copies of The Ninety-Nines Newsletters from the previous year. Additional contents of each book are dependent upon the events that happened in a particular year. In the early years of the organization, the books include further refinements of the constitution and by-laws, and various newspaper and magazine articles regarding accomplishments of the organization or individual members. In subsequent years, the history books focus more on the air races in which members participated or various events sponsored by the organization.
The researcher will note that in 1953 volume numbers were assigned to the books. For the sake of continuity and clarity in the finding aid, the processing archivist assigned volume numbers where appropriate. These numbers appear in square brackets where appropriate, i.e. [35]. Due to the fragile nature of the bound scrapbooks, photocopying may not be possible.
Arrangement:
The Ninety-Nines, Inc. History Books Collection is arranged chronologically, by date and/or volume number.
Biographical/Historical note:
On November 2, 1929, twenty-six licensed women pilots gathered together at Curtiss Field, Valley Stream, Long Island, New York, to discuss the formation of a club "to promote women pilots among themselves, and to encourage other women to fly, as well as to break down general opposition to aviation." (1) After that first meeting, letters were sent out to the 117 licensed women pilots in the United States, giving all of them the opportunity to become charter members in the new club. The name of the club was to be determined by the number of women who wished to join. When 99 letters were returned by the approved date, the club became known as The Ninety-Nines. Many famous female pilots of the time, including Amelia Earhart, Ruth Elder, Viola Gentry, Phoebe Omlie, and Louise Thaden were charter members.
In the succeeding years, The Ninety-Nines have ably fulfilled the purpose set forth in the original letter. Many aviation records have been set by members of The Ninety-Nines. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to pilot an aircraft across the Atlantic and, in 1936, Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes won the Bendix Trophy Race. Since 1941, the organization has bestowed a variety of scholarships and grants to members who are seeking advanced training in specialized branches of aviation. Today, the Ninety-Nines, Inc. has grown to include 6,500 members in 35 countries.
(1) Clara Trenckmann to Mr. Skinner and Mr. Mellen, October 1, 1929. "September 1, 1929 -- September 1, 1930," Folder 1, Box 1, Ninety-Nines, Inc. History Books Collection (Acc.XXXX-0470). Archives Division, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
Provenance:
Ninety-Nines, Inc., unknown, XXXX-0470
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
The Russian Aeronautical Collection is a mix of technical, historical, and cultural reference materials, including originals or copies of articles, documents and other historical materials relating to Russian and Soviet aviation from the Tsarist period through the Soviet era. The collection focuses on key events, personalities and aircraft designs, and certain subject areas are covered in depth, including the life and career of Igor Sikorsky, the transpolar flights of the 1930s, Soviet aviation in the Spanish Civil War, and the operational history of the Soviet Air Force in World War II.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains newspaper clippings, articles, pamphlets/booklets, magazines/journals, reports, monographs, manuscripts, bibliographies and a few photographs.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
This collection was arranged by the creator first by what chronological era the subject matter dealt with, then alphabetically within each era by file unit title. Von Hardesty also created a grouping of materials that deals with aircraft design and designers and another grouping that contains reference material. Groupings and materials are in the order that the processing archivist received them which also correspondes to the guide that Von Hardesty created.
The processing archivist added the last 2 series which covers materials that were not listed in the original guide to the collection.
There are 8 series:
Series I: 1885-1917
Series II: 1918-1940
Series III: 1941-1945
Series IV: 1946-Onwards
Series V: Design
Series VI: Reference
Series VII: Loose Materials
Series VIII: Administrative Material
Biographical / Historical:
The Russian Aeronautical Collection (RAC) was assembled over the course of two decades by Von Hardesty, curator in the Aeronautics Division of the National Air and Space Museum. The RAC developed as a research project linked to the publication of Hardesty's book Red Phoenix: The Rise of Soviet Air Power, 1941 -1945 (first published in 1982.)
Provenance:
Aeronautics Division / Von Hardesty, Transfer, 2006
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
This collection consists of Stanton's personal papers. The material includes correspondence, photographs, news clippings and articles, reunion memorabilia and records, and personal and professional writings over the course of his aeronautical career.
Scope and Contents:
This collection of the papers of Charles Ingram Stanton contains work-related photographs, personal writings on his career, periodicals, programs, financial records, published materials, maps, charts, plans, scrapbooks and audiotapes. At the time of processing, no attempt was made to transcribe the audiotapes. Please contact the Archives for information about duplication.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as follows:
Series I, Professional Life
Subseries I: Military Career
Subseries II: Civilian Career
Series II, Personal Life
Series III, Miscellaneous Oversize Material
Biographical/Historical note:
Charles Ingram Stanton was born on July 28, 1893, in Medford, Massachusetts. He graduated from high school in Revere, Massachusetts in 1911; and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tufts College in 1917. After graduation, he joined the United States Army and was assigned to the Signal Corps. Upon graduation from the Corps flight school, Stanton was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Although he served in the Air Service during World War I, he was never assigned overseas, but remained in the United States conducting research regarding radios and their effects in aircraft. In December of 1918, Stanton was formally discharged from the Army.
Prior to his military discharge, Stanton accepted a position with the United States Post Office Department of Aerial Mail, and began work as a test pilot. On September 15, 1920, Stanton was promoted to Superintendent of Operations, United States Air Mail Service. He later resigned from the Post Office and went to work for the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). His tenure there was terminated for unknown reasons in 1923; he then went to work for the U.S. Engineer Corp as a surveyman. From 1925 through 1926, he was employed as a civil engineer in Miami, Florida. On January 17, 1927 Stanton returned to government service as an airplane and engine inspector for the United States Department of Commerce. He was named the Chief of Airways Engineering Division, Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) on May 4, 1937. While working there, he obtained patent number 2,147,679 for an illuminating system for runways. On June 29, 1940 Stanton was named Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of Federal Airways. Stanton served as Administrator for the CAA from 1942 to 1944 before returning to his previous position as Deputy Administrator. During his tenure with the CAA, Stanton attended several conferences and important meetings for the establishment of international airways. Stanton was instrumental in establishing the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization. In 1944 he received an honorary doctorate from Tufts College for his contribution to the field of civil aeronautics.
On March 8, 1948 Stanton retired from the United States Government and took a teaching position at the Technological Institute of Aeronautics of Brazil as Professor of Air Navigation, and Chief of Airway Division. Upon returning to the United States in 1952, Stanton went to work for Bell Telephone Laboratories. He returned to work for the CAA in 1957, where he remained until his retirement in 1962.
Charles Ingram Stanton's love of flying did not end with his work. He remained an active member in the OX-5 Club, the Society of Air Mail Pioneers, Society of Airway Pioneers, and the Washington Air Derby Association. In addition to flying clubs, Stanton was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. Charles Ingram Stanton passed away in 1986.
Timeline:
1893 July 28 -- Born in Medford Massachusetts
1911 -- Graduated from Revere High School
1917 -- Graduated from Tufts College
1917 December 8 -- Joined United States Army
1918 December 12 -- Joined United States Post Office Department of Aerial Mail
1918 December 18 -- Discharged from the United States Army
1920 September 15 -- Appointed Superintendent of Operations, Air Mail Service
1923 November 13 -- Terminated from National Aeronautic Association
1924 -- Worked for United States Engineer Corp as Surveyman
1925 -- Worked as a Civil Engineer in Miami
1927 January 17 -- Worked for U.S. Department of Commerce as an Airplane Inspector
1937 May 4 -- Selected as Chief of Airways Engineering Division, Civil Aeronautics Authority
1939 June 1 -- Granted U.S. Department of Justice Patent Number 2,147,679
1940 June 29 -- Appointed Assistant Administrator and Director of Bureau of Federal Airways, Civil Aeronautics Authority
1942 July 20 -- Appointed Administrator of Civil Aeronautics, Civil Aeronautics Administration
1944 June 18 -- Received Honorary Degree from Tufts College
1944 September 23 -- Resigned as Administrator to return to former position as Deputy Administrator, Civil Aeronautics Administration.
1948 March 8 -- Took leave of absence to serve as head of Department of Airways Engineering, Aeronautical Technical Institute of Brazil.
1952 -- Returned to America to work for Bell Laboratories
1956 November 16 -- Left Bell Laboratories
1957 January 23 -- Worked for the Air Navigation Development Board, Civil Aeronautics Administration
1957 November 6 -- Worked as Electrical Engineer (Gen.) of Airways Modernization Board Civil Aeronautics Administration
1957 -- Worked as Chief of Airports Division, Civil Aeronautics Administration
1962 -- Retired from the Federal Aviation Agency
1986 January 1 -- Passed away
Provenance:
Charles I. Stanton, Jr., gift, 1987, NASM.1987.0076
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
In 1931, at the end of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindberghs' famous flight to the Far East in their Lockheed Sirius Tingmissartoq, their aircraft was damaged, and they sailed from Yokohama, Japan to Vancouver, Canada aboard the steamship SS President Jefferson. All passengers were required to fill out forms providing basic demographic and contact information which were kept by the purser, and this collection consists of the passenger forms filled out by the Lindberghs.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two forms completed and signed by Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, giving the family name, given name, age, birth date and place, ports of embarkation and destination, address, gender, ethnicity, marital status, and occupation. The collection also contains a card bearing what appears to be an auction lot description for the sale of the forms.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
In 1931, at the end of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindberghs' famous flight to the Far East in their Lockheed Sirius Tingmissartoq, their aircraft was damaged, and they sailed from Yokohama, Japan to Vancouver, Canada aboard the steamship SS President Jefferson to arrive in time for Anne's father's funeral. All passengers were required to fill out forms providing basic demographic and contact information which were kept by the purser.
Provenance:
Donor unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0978.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Frederick J. Wiseman (1875--1961) was an early California aviator and one of the designers of the Wiseman-Peters (later named Wiseman-Cooke) Biplane. This collection consists of two autgraphed postcards, both featuring an inset portrait of Frederick J. Wiseman and a view of the Wiseman-Peters #2 Biplane (Wiseman-Cooke Biplane).
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two 5.5 by 3.5 inch sepia-toned postcards, both featuring an inset portrait of Frederick J. Wiseman wearing a suit and tie and a view of the Wiseman-Peters #2 Biplane (Wiseman-Cooke Biplane). One postcard features a right side view of the aircraft on the ground with Wiseman visible standing beside it, and is captioned, "Aviator Wiseman Immediately After Winning the Amateur Endurance Record, January 18, 1911." The other postcard features a view of the aircraft in flight and is captioned, "Wiseman Rounding the last Pylon in the Speed Trial, Selfridge Field." Both postcards are autographed on the front by Wiseman.
Arrangement:
Collection is only two items.
Biographical / Historical:
Frederick J. Wiseman (1875--1961) was born in Santa Rosa, California, and after attending local schools he engaged in both the bicycle and automotive businesses. Wiseman won considerable fame racing Stoddard-Dayton cars on the West Coast as well as in the Chicago area. Wiseman became interested in aviation after attending the Wright Brothers' homecoming celebration in 1909 and the first Los Angeles aviation meet at Dominguez Field in 1910. After these two events, Wiseman was convinced he wanted to learn to fly and so he returned to his home in Santa Rosa and pooled his money with fellow race car driver M. W. Peters to build an airplane. They persuaded local butcher Ben Noonan to put up the remainder of the needed funds, and the group added Don Prentiss as secretary of the organization and Julian Pierre, an additional mechanic. In May 1910, as the first Wiseman-Peters biplane began to be tested and exhibited, the group started construction of a second aircraft, and it was in this second airplane that Wiseman would make all his significant exhibition flights. During July 1910, both Peters and Wiseman flew the Wiseman-Peters #2, and the following year Wiseman entered the 1911 Aviation Meet at Selfridge Field. In February of that year, Wiseman made an early airmail flight when he carried mail, a bundle of newspapers and a sack of groceries from Petaluma, California, to Santa Rosa, California. During 1911 Wiseman had an active season of exhibition work, including flying for one week at the California State Fair. However, after this season Wiseman gave up flying because he thought there was no future in it. He sold his plane and returned to the automobile business, later working for the Standard Oil Company of California. Wiseman was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation. Weldon Cooke, another pioneer aviator from California, bought and modified the Wiseman-Peters aircraft, renaming it the Wiseman-Cooke and flying the aircraft for exhibition and air mail flights.
Provenance:
Donor unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0993.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Early Birds of Aviation (Organization). Search this
Wiseman-Peters (Fred Wiseman and J. W. Peters) (Aircraft manufacturer) Search this
Extent:
0.59 Cubic feet (1 flatbox)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Tickets
Correspondence
Clippings
Date:
1909-1968
bulk [ca. 1910s, 1950s]
Summary:
Fred Wiseman, along with J. W. Peters and D.C. Prentiss, built a biplane named the Wiseman-Peters. During July 1910, both Peters and Wiseman flew the Wiseman-Peters and the following year Wiseman entered the 1911 Aviation Meet at Selfridge Field, Michigan. On February 17, 1911, Wiseman made the first airplane-carried mail flight officially sanctioned by any local U.S. post office and made available to the public when he carried mail, a bundle of newspapers and a sack of groceries from Petaluma, CA, to Santa Rosa, CA. After the 1911 season, Wiseman gave up flying.
This collection consists of a large scrapbook. Inside the scrapbook are newspaper clippings, correspondence, 1st Day Covers, race tickets, and photographs chronicling both Wiseman's automobile and aviation careers.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a large scrapbook. Inside the scrapbook are newspaper clippings, correspondence, 1st Day Covers, race tickets, and photographs chronicling both Wiseman's automobile and aviation careers.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
Materials are in the order the donor attached them to the scrapbook. Correspondence is often located within the envelope that is attached to the scrapbook. Some materials are loose and have been left in the arrangement in which they were found, unless a portion of a newspaper article could be matched to its other parts.
Biographical / Historical:
Fred Wiseman (1875-1961) was born in Santa Rosa, California, and after attending local schools he engaged in both the bicycle and automotive businesses. Wiseman won considerable fame racing Stoddard-Dayton cars on the West Coast as well as in the Chicago area. He became interested in aviation after attending the Wright brothers' homecoming celebration in 1909 and the first Los Angeles aviation meet at Dominguez Field in 1910.
After these two events, Wiseman was convinced he wanted to learn to fly and so he returned to his home in Santa Rosa and persuaded Ben Noonan to put up $10,000 to build a plane. Wiseman, along with J. W. Peters and D.C. Prentiss, built a biplane named the Wiseman-Peters. During July 1910, both Peters and Wiseman flew the Wiseman-Peters and the following year Wiseman entered the 1911 Aviation Meet at Selfridge Field, Michigan.
On February 17, 1911, Wiseman made the first airplane-carried mail flight officially sanctioned by any local U.S. post office and made available to the public when he carried mail, a bundle of newspapers and a sack of groceries from Petaluma, CA, to Santa Rosa, CA. (The first air mail flight sanctioned by the U.S. Post Office in Washington, D.C., took place on September 23, 1911, when Earle Ovington carried mail from Garden City, Long Island, to Mineola; and the first continuously scheduled U.S. air mail service began on May 15, 1918, with routes between Washington, Philadelphia, and New York.)
During 1911, Wiseman had an active season of exhibition work, including flying for one week at the California State Fair. However, after this season Wiseman gave up flying because he thought there was no future in it. He sold his plane and returned to the automobile business. He later worked for Standard Oil Company of California. Wiseman was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation, an organization of pilots who flew solo in an aircraft prior to December 17, 1916.
Weldon Cooke, another pioneer aviator from California, bought and modified the Wiseman-Peters aircraft, renaming it the Wiseman-Cooke. Cooke flew the Wiseman-Cooke for exhibition and air mail flights. The Wiseman-Cooke aircraft is currently part of the Smithsonian Institution's collections.
Provenance:
No donor information, Gift?, unknown, XXXX-0618, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
The Casey Jones School of Aeronautics was founded in 1932 in Newark, NJ by Charles S. "Casey" Jones, George Augustus Vaughn, Jr., and Lee D. Warrender. This collection consists of a black and white photograph, taken by Edward J. Kelty, of the "Day School" class of 1937.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a black and white photograph of the "Day School" class of 1937 at the Casey Jones School of Aeronautics in Newark, New Jersey. The photograph measures approximately 20.25 by 12 inches and was taken by Edward J. Kelty.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
The Casey Jones School of Aeronautics was founded in 1932 in Newark, NJ by Charles S. "Casey" Jones, George Augustus Vaughn, Jr., and Lee D. Warrender. The school moved to New York City, adjacent to LaGuardia Airport, in 1940. After World War II, the Casey Jones School of Aeronautics was consolidated with the Academy of Aeronautics. In 1986, the Academy became the College of Aeronautics and in 2004, the name was changed to the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology to honor a donor.
Provenance:
Donor Name Unknown, Gift, 2014, NASM.2015.0005
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Fokker, Anthony H. G. (Anthony Herman Gerard), 1890-1939 Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, 1 black and white photograph, 6.5 x 8.6 inches )
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1925
Summary:
This single-item collection consists of one black and white photograph of Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker, John McPhail, Anthony H. G. "Tony" Fokker, and Wilmer Stulz standing beside a Fokker F.VIIA-3m in Fokker company livery. The print has been autographed by Boedecker, McPhail, and Fokker, and is dated 1925.
Scope and Contents:
This single-item collection consists of one 6.5 x 8.6 inch black and white gelatin silver print photograph, a group view of four men posed standing beside the left side of the nose of a Fokker F.VIIA-3m in Fokker company livery; left to right: Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker, John McPhail, Anthony H. G. "Tony" Fokker, and Wilmer Stulz. This photograph has been autographed by K. J. "Spoons" Boedecker, J. Mc Phail, [and] Fokker; dated 1925. Reverse of print is annotated by hand: "K. J. Boedecker (Wright Aeronautical Corp. Field Service Engineer), J. Mc Phail (Fokker Aircraft Corp. - Engineer), A. H. G. Fokker (Designer & owner), Wm. Stultz (Pilot)." This photograph by Pacific & Atlantic Photos, Inc. was likely taken in the New York City area prior to the Fokker's departure to take part in the 1925 Ford Commercial Airplane Reliability Tour. Stultz was not the pilot for the Fokker F.VIIA-3m (Tour No. 20) but did pilot a single-engine Fokker (Tour No. 18) which crashed en route from Long Island, New York, to the Tour's starting point in Dearborn, Michigan.
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Provenance:
Richard Smith, gift, 2011, NASM.2011.0024
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902-1974 Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Proclamations
Date:
May 19, 1977
Summary:
This collection consists of a proclamation, signed by then-mayor Walter E. Washington, naming Thursday, May 19, 1977 as "Charles A. Lindbergh Day" in Washington, DC to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lindbergh's 1927 New York to Paris flight.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a proclamation, signed by then-mayor Walter E. Washington, naming Thursday, May 19, 1977 as "Charles A. Lindbergh Day" in Washington, DC. The proclamation is on Mayor Washington's official letterhead and bears a gold District of Columbia seal with two red ribbons.
Arrangement:
Collection is a single item.
Biographical / Historical:
The Charles A. Lindbergh Memorial Fund Committee designated May 19, 1977 as "Charles A. Lindbergh Day" nationally as part of celebrations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lindbergh's 1927 New York to Paris flight.
Provenance:
Donor unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0919
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
In 1924, the US Army Air Service sent four specially-built aircraft, the Douglas World Cruisers (DWC) Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and New Orleans on an around the world flight. This collection consists of autographs of some of the DWC crew members.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a 14 by 21 inch piece of heavy paper (folded into a 7 by 10.5 inch "booklet") that has been signed, in black ink, by various crew members of the different Douglas World Cruiser (DWC) aircraft including Lowell Herbert Smith and Leslie P. Arnold (Douglas World Cruiser (DWC) Chicago (#2)); Erik Henning "Swede" Nelson and John "Jack" Harding, Jr. (Douglas World Cruiser (DWC) New Orleans (#4)); and Leigh Wade and Henry H. Ogden (Douglas World Cruiser (DWC) Boston (#3)).
Arrangement:
Collection is a single item.
Biographical / Historical:
In July 1923, US Army Air Service disclosed that it intended to attempt a global flight the following year. Four specially built aircraft were commissioned from the Douglas Aircraft Company. The World Cruisers, as they were called, were christened the Seattle, the Chicago, the Boston, and the New Orleans. The four aircraft departed from Seattle, Washington, in April 1924 to begin their flight. Only the New Orleans and the Chicago completed the arduous 27,553 mile (44,085 km) flight. It took 175 days, with a flying time of 371 hours and 11 minutes. The Seattle crashed into a mountainside and was destroyed early in the journey and later the Boston capsized at sea off the Faroe Islands and was also destroyed. Throughout the journey the crews prevailed against an endless series of forced landings, repairs, bad weather, and other mishaps that continually threatened the success of the flight. A monumental logistical accomplishment, it was an important step toward world-wide air transport.
Provenance:
Donor unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.1048
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
This collection consists of material collected and organized by Doris L. Rich during research in preparation for her 1989 book, Amelia Earhart: A Biography. Materials include reproductions of newspapers, books, periodicals, correspondence, and typed/handwritten notes by Rich.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of material collected and organized by Doris L. Rich during research in preparation for her 1989 book, Amelia Earhart: A Biography. Materials include reproductions of newspapers, books, periodicals, correspondence, and typed/handwritten notes by Rich.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into 5 series, based upon the original order provided by Doris L. Rich.
Series 1: Biographical Files
Series 2: Amelia Earhart Chronology
Series 3: Historical Chronology
Series 4: Book Correspondence
Series 5: Subject Files and Bibliography
Information added by processing archivist is in brackets. Most notably, Doris L. Rich maintained a very formal tone in her correspondence, frequently addressing women by their married name only, ex. Mollison, Mrs. James. The processing archivist has added additonal name information in brackets when possible, ex. [Amy Johnson].
Biographical / Historical:
Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) in 1928 was the first woman to fly (as a passenger) across the Atlantic, and in 1932 the first woman (and second person, after Charles Lindbergh) to fly solo and nonstop across that ocean. She flew many record flights, published several books, and accomplished much for women in aviation before attempting, on June 1, 1937, an around-the-world flight from Miami, Florida, in a twin-engine Lockheed Electra. She and navigator Frederick J. Noonan were flying from Lae, New Guinea, to Howland Island when they disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937. An exhaustive sea and air search, ordered by President Franklin Roosevelt, was unsuccessful in locating Earhart and Noonan.
Doris L. Rich (1920-2009) was a freelance journalist and photographer in Hong Kong from 1949 to 1967. She taught English in Bangladesh and Ghana before moving to Washington, DC in the late 1970s. Her first book, Amelia Earhart: A Biography, was published by the Smithsonian Press in 1989. In the book, Rich downplays Earhart's disappearance and instead focuses on Earhart's many contributions to the aviation field and her championing of women's rights. The book was proclaimed one of the Notable Books of the Year by the New York Times in 1990 and served as the basis for Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight, a made-for-television movie in 1994.
Provenance:
Doris L. Rich, Gift, 1990, NASM.1991.0003
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
"Wright Brothers Day" was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1963 to celebrate the anniversary of the world's first successful flights of a human-carrying, powered, and controlled heavier-than-air flying machine made by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903, and is now marked annually by proclamation of the President of the United States. This collection consists of five identical copies of the Presidential proclamation declaring December 17, 1991 as Wright Brothers Day.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of five identical copies of the Presidential proclamation declaring December 17, 1991 as Wright Brothers Day. The proclamation is on cardstock that measures 10 by 15 inches and features the Seal of the President of the United States in gold at the top along with a facsimile signature of then-President George Bush at the bottom.
Arrangement:
Collection is five copies of a single item.
Biographical / Historical:
The first "Wright Brothers Day" was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1963 to celebrate the anniversary of the world's first successful flights of a human-carrying, powered, and controlled heavier-than-air flying machine made by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903. The resolution was later amended (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143) to specify December 17 as the date on which Wright Brothers Day should be commemorated and to authorize and request that the President issue a proclamation each year inviting the public to observe the day with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Provenance:
White House Special Correspondence Unit, Transfer, 1991, NASM.1992.0020.0070.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
"Wright Brothers Day" was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1963 to celebrate the anniversary of the world's first successful flights of a human-carrying, powered, and controlled heavier-than-air flying machine made by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903, and is now marked annually by proclamation of the President of the United States. This collection consists of a copy of the Presidential proclamation declaring December 17, 1994 as Wright Brothers Day.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a copy of the Presidential proclamation declaring December 17, 1994 as Wright Brothers Day. The proclamation is on cardstock that measures 10 by 15 inches and features the Seal of the President of the United States in gold at the top along with a facsimile signature of then-President William J. Clinton at the bottom.
Arrangement:
Collection is a single item.
Biographical / Historical:
The first "Wright Brothers Day" was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1963 to celebrate the anniversary of the world's first successful flights of a human-carrying, powered, and controlled heavier-than-air flying machine made by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903. The resolution was later amended (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143) to specify December 17 as the date on which Wright Brothers Day should be commemorated and to authorize and request that the President issue a proclamation each year inviting the public to observe the day with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Provenance:
White House, Transfer, 1995, NASM.1995.0020.0035.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
"Wright Brothers Day" was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1963 to celebrate the anniversary of the world's first successful flights of a human-carrying, powered, and controlled heavier-than-air flying machine made by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903, and is now marked annually by proclamation of the President of the United States. This collection consists of a copy of the Presidential proclamation declaring December 17, 2003 as Wright Brothers Day.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a copy of the Presidential proclamation declaring December 17, 2003 as Wright Brothers Day. The proclamation is on cardstock that measures 10 by 15 inches and features the Seal of the President of the United States in gold at the top along with a facsimile signature of then-President George W. Bush at the bottom.
Arrangement:
Collection is a single item.
Biographical / Historical:
The first "Wright Brothers Day" was established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1963 to celebrate the anniversary of the world's first successful flights of a human-carrying, powered, and controlled heavier-than-air flying machine made by the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903. The resolution was later amended (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143) to specify December 17 as the date on which Wright Brothers Day should be commemorated and to authorize and request that the President issue a proclamation each year inviting the public to observe the day with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Provenance:
Lawrence Small, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, Transfer, 2003, NASM.2004.0020.0025.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
This collection consists of 187 color slides documenting Rash's military career and his tours in China, Korea, and Viet Nam. The collection is divided into the following series: China, 1947-1948; USA 1948-1949; Korea, 1952-1954; Vietnam, 1966; and Vietnam 1968-69. Marine Corps aircraft are represented.
Biographical / Historical:
Richard Rash was a Marine Corps aviator who flew in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. During World War II, Rash flew Grumman F4F Wildcats and Corsairs, as he accompanied dive bombers and torpedo bombers on their missions. After World War II, Rash opted for duty in China, and reported to VMF-211. His tour of China ended with the Communist takeover in 1949. He then went on several tours of duty in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, including service in Greece, Turkey, Spain, and Italy. Subsequently, Rash was called to duty in the Korean war, and later the Vietnam war, before retiring in 1973. During the Korean and Vietnam eras, he flew the following aircraft: North American Sabre F-86, Grumman F9F-5, McDonnell F2H-2, North American FJ-2; Grumman F8F-8, Douglas AD, and Beechcraft SNB.
General:
Other material: One copy of the "Pacific Beach Historical Society Newsletter," which includes a biography of Rash.
NASMrev
Provenance:
John Fry, gift, 1989, 1989-0131, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
